S-3010 Radial Insertion Machine: Automate Radial THT Component Assembly with Southern Machinery

Southern Machinery, founded in 2011 in Shenzhen, designs and builds SMT and THT PCB assembly automation equipment and serves 237+ customers worldwide. The S-3010 radial insertion machine is its offline THT auto insertion platform for tape-packed radial lead components — capacitors, transistors, LEDs, and key switches. It combines servo-driven insertion, integrated clinching, and machine vision into one machine that replaces manual through-hole insertion on mixed high-mix production lines.

For EMS and ODM factories, the business case is straightforward: radial components are among the most repetitive, error-prone manual operations on a THT line, and the S-3010 removes that bottleneck with a rated throughput of 22,000 CPH (13,000 CPH actual) and four selectable lead spans from 2.5 mm to 10.0 mm.

What Is the S-3010 Radial Insertion Machine Used For?

The S-3010 is a THT (through-hole) auto insertion machine that places standard tape-packed radial lead components into a PCB automatically. Radial components have both leads exiting from the same side and are supplied on tape — the classic format for film capacitors, ceramic disc capacitors, transistors, small LEDs, and key switches.

The machine performs the full cycle automatically: it advances the component tape through its Feeder, cuts and forms the leads to the programmed span, inserts the component into the drilled PCB hole, and then clinches the leads underneath the board (clinch length 1.5–2.2 mm, clinch angle 10–35°) so the component stays locked in place before Wave Soldering. Because insertion direction is programmable from 0° to 360° in 1° increments, components can be oriented exactly as the PCB layout requires, without manual rotation or rework.

The "offline" designation means the machine is operated as a stand-alone station: boards are loaded manually or by a small conveyor, the machine inserts the programmed component pattern, and the board moves to the next process. This makes it an ideal first automation step for factories that are not yet ready for a fully inline THT line.

Typical Application Scenarios for the S-3010

• LED lighting and displays — inserting radial LEDs and film capacitors on lighting, display, and luminous-character PCBs, where radial lead format is still the industry default.
• Power supply and ballast production — power supplies, energy-saving ballasts, and chargers that mix radial capacitors and transistors with other THT parts.
• Electrical appliances — air conditioner, TV, microwave, electric kettle, and induction cooker control boards with dense radial component populations.
• Automotive electronics — vehicle power supply and car audio boards where insertion repeatability and clinch quality directly affect reliability.
• Industrial control and instrumentation — boards with tall or mixed radial components where manual insertion quality varies between operators and shifts.

Southern Machinery's published demo video shows the S-3010 inserting 33 radial components into a PCB in 16 seconds, which gives a practical feel for the machine's cycle performance on real board layouts.

How the S-3010 Fits into a Complete PCB Assembly Line

The S-3010 is one building block in a full SMT + THT assembly line. A typical mixed-technology line around Southern Machinery equipment looks like this:

• SMT line: Stencil printer → Pick and Place → Reflow Oven → SPI/AOI inspection (Southern Machinery supplies stencil printers, pick and place machines for LED work, reflow ovens, SPI, and AOI).
• THT line: Auto insertion machines (axial, radial, and odd-form inserters) place the through-hole components. The S-3010 handles radial tape-packed parts; the S-4000 axial inserter handles axial parts; odd-form inserters handle transformers, connectors, and relays.
• Wave Soldering: A lead-free dual Wave Soldering machine solders all inserted THT components in one pass.
• Post-soldering: Board handling conveyors, inline lead cutting, cleaning, and depaneling complete the line.

Because Southern Machinery provides SMT, THT, Wave Soldering, board handling, and inspection equipment from a single source, a factory can commission the whole line with one engineering partner instead of integrating machines from five vendors. The S-3010 also works standalone: factories can place it upstream of an existing wave solder line and keep the rest of the line unchanged.

Verified S-3010 Specifications (from the Manufacturer)

Parameter	Value

|---|---|

Machine type	Offline THT radial auto insertion machine
Lead span options	2.5 / 5.0 / 7.5 / 10.0 mm (four spans)
Rated speed	22,000 CPH (13,000 CPH actual)
Insertion direction	0°–360°, programmable in 1° increments
Insertion head	Servo-motor driven, 13.0 mm stroke
Clinch type	"N" type clinch base
Clinch length / angle	1.5–2.2 mm / 10–35°
Component types	Capacitors, transistors, LEDs, key switches, standard tape-packed radial leads
PCB size	50×50 mm min – 400×400 mm max
PCB thickness	0.79–2.36 mm
Coordinate correction	Machine vision system with calibration
Table	Non-rotary table
Control system	Southern Machinery platform software, English/Chinese interface, LCD monitor, industrial control computer
Machine size (L×W×H)	1800 × 1600 × 1800 mm
Machine weight	1000 kg
Power supply	220 V AC, single phase, 50/60 Hz
Air supply	0.6 MPa, 0.3 m³/min
Operating temperature	10–35 °C

Key Selection Parameters to Confirm with Southern Machinery

Because every board set is different, confirm these points with the Southern Machinery engineering team before configuration:

• Component format: lead pitch and tape pitch of your radial components, and whether any parts deviate from standard tape packing.
• Lead span requirement: which of the four spans (2.5–10.0 mm) your board set needs, and whether you need multiple spans per board.
• PCB dimensions and panelization: board size within the 50×50 mm to 400×400 mm range, and panel layout for loading.
• Component height and body size: maximum body dimensions and height clearance for the insertion head and clinch tooling.
• Programming and data handoff: how insertion programs are generated — from Gerber/CAD data or from Southern's machine vision calibration.
• Line integration: whether the machine runs standalone or is linked to existing board handling, and which SMEMA-style interface is required.
• Training and support: operator training, spare parts availability, and the remote-support workflow for your region.

ROI, Quality, and Throughput: What the S-3010 Changes

Throughput. Manual radial insertion is typically one component at a time with a hand tool. The S-3010's rated 22,000 CPH and the demonstrated 33-components-in-16-seconds cycle turn a multi-operator manual cell into a one-machine station, freeing operators for value-added work such as inspection or odd-form assembly.

Quality. Every insertion is performed by the same servo-driven mechanism with machine vision coordinate correction, so component polarity, orientation, and position repeat identically board after board. Clinching is performed mechanically with a fixed range (1.5–2.2 mm length, 10–35° angle), eliminating the loose-lead and tombstone-style defects that come from hand insertion, and reducing rework and scrap downstream at Wave Soldering and AOI.

Labor and floor space. Southern Machinery's published positioning for the S-3010 emphasizes reducing labor costs and recovering floor space — the machine occupies 1800×1600 mm and replaces a manual station that typically needs several operators and a larger bench area. For factories facing rising labor costs, skilled-worker shortages, and unstable manual quality — the exact pain points Southern Machinery's product page lists for this machine — the payback model is based on replacing repetitive manual labor with one capital asset.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What components can the S-3010 radial insertion machine handle?

A: The S-3010 handles standard tape-packed radial lead components — capacitors, transistors, LEDs, and key switches — with lead spans from 2.5 mm to 10.0 mm across four span settings.

Q: What is the throughput of the S-3010?

A: The rated speed is 22,000 CPH, with 13,000 CPH actual throughput. A Southern Machinery demo video shows 33 radial components inserted into a PCB in 16 seconds.

Q: Does the S-3010 clinch the leads automatically?

A: Yes. The machine has a servo-driven insertion head and an "N" type clinch base that bends leads to 10–35° with a clinch length of 1.5–2.2 mm, holding components in place before Wave Soldering.

Q: Is the S-3010 an inline or offline machine?

A: It is an offline (stand-alone) insertion machine. Boards are loaded at the station, the programmed pattern is inserted, and boards move on to the next process — it can be positioned upstream of an existing wave solder line without major line changes.

Q: How are insertion programs created?

A: Programs are created using the Southern Machinery platform software with an English or Chinese interface, with coordinate correction and calibration provided by the machine vision system.

Q: What PCB sizes can the S-3010 process?

A: PCB sizes from 50×50 mm up to 400×400 mm, with PCB thickness from 0.79 mm to 2.36 mm.

Q: How can I get a configuration recommendation for my boards?

A: Contact Southern Machinery with your component list, board dimensions, and annual volume. The engineering team recommends the appropriate span variants, Feeder setup, and line integration for your factory.

Contact Southern Machinery for a Configuration Recommendation

The right radial insertion configuration depends on your component formats, board panelization, and volume. Southern Machinery's engineers can recommend the correct lead-span setup, Feeder configuration, and line integration for your factory.

• Email: jasonwu@smthelp.com (Jason Wu, Sales & Service Engineer)
• Phone / WhatsApp: +86 13602562576
• Website: https://www.smthelp.com
• Product catalogs and PDFs: https://file.autoinsertion.com
• Machine photo albums: https://ph.smthelp.com